Ati-Atihan is also celebrated in Northern California by Filipino communities to pay homage to Senor Sto. Nino. The 26th Annual Ati-Atihan Festival Dance will be held on January 21 at Sacramento, California.
Aklan Association of Sacramento and Vicinity (AASV), Inc. is the main organizer of its Ati-Atihan which will take place in Jose Rizal Community Center, 7230 Florin Mall Drive in Sacramento.
A nine-day novena from January 12 to January 20 sponsored by Aklanon families kicked off the festivities before the Filipino-American merrymakers and devotees of Senor Sto. Nino converge in Sacramento, the capital city of the State of California, for their own version of Ati-Atihan festival on January 21.
An Ati-Atihan mass at 5:30 p.m. will be celebrated by Fr. Lester Menor followed by the blessing of Sto. Nino images, dinner, paeapak or pahilot, Ati-Atihan parade, raffles for the guests and the traditional devotional procession inside the Jose Rizal Community Center are among the highlights of the celebration.
Judges will select tribes and groups competing for Most Colorful, Most Original, Rowdiest Group, Most Lively, Most Participated, Most Unique, Most Symbolic awards and the top three Ati-Atihan champions.
The 2017 AASV Inc. officers are Danny Yap Diangco (president), Wallaine Inuman-Bantique (1st vice president); Juby Reyes-Osit (2nd vice president); Faith Inuman-Rogan (secretary); Nida Zabal (assistant secretary); Necita Igtanloc-Ruiz (treasurer); Elma Reyes-Taitague (assistant treasurer); Venus O’Meara (auditor); Edgardo Zabal, Jr. (parliamentarian); Jose Rolando Osit and John Joan Inuman (press relations officers); Robert Bantique, Cyrus Reyes and Kenneth Inuman (sergeant-at-arms) and Marie Solidum and Edgardo Zabal, Sr. (historians).
The AASV past presidents and founding members are Franklin Zabal, Venus O’Meara, Blas Dela Cruz, Dr. Ciciro Reyes, Elena Magsuci, Antonio Solidum, Sarah Tonel Enloe, Necita Ruiz and Dr. Dionesio Tonel.
BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL
No comments:
Post a Comment